Cara Battersby

Dr. Cara Battersby is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Connecticut, where she leads the Milky Way Laboratory. Her research focuses on star formation in extreme environments, particularly the Galactic Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), using multi-wavelength observational surveys and numerical simulations. She holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado Boulder and has held postdoctoral positions at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Research spans:

• 3D mapping of molecular clouds via X-ray tomography
• Dynamics of star cluster formation
• ALMA large-program surveys (ACES, ALMAGAL)
• Galactic-scale gas inflow mechanisms

Her publications emphasize high-resolution studies of galactic structure, protostellar evolution, and computational techniques for big data in astrophysics. Recent work reveals trends in turbulence-regulated star formation and Galactic Center dynamics.

Awards include:

• NSF CAREER Award (2022)
• NASA Group Achievement Award (2019)
• Hubble Space Telescope time allocations
• Multiple NSF/NASA grants totaling >$3M

She mentors 4 postdocs and 40+ students in the Milky Way Lab, founded outreach programs (UConn STARs, BiteScis), and developed curricula for astrophysics courses with top student evaluations.